Wolf’s influential hybrid account of meaning connects subjective engagement with projects of objective worth. Neither being passionately absorbed nor compiling detached achievements is sufficient on its own. This makes meaning a distinct question from happiness and from evaluating whether someone obeys every moral demand.
A Wolf-inspired account of meaning draws attention to the meeting of engagement and worthwhile activity. A person may be absorbed in an empty project, or perform useful work with no sense of connection to it. The two dimensions help explain why meaning differs from pleasure and from public benefit alone. They also invite a generous understanding of ordinary life: care, relationships, learning, and creative activity can matter without requiring fame or exceptional achievement.